Esdræ 3
1 iamque venerat mensis septimus et erant filii Israhel in civitatibus suis congregatus est ergo populus quasi vir unus in Hierusalem
After the Israeli people [returned to Israel, and] had begun to live in their towns, (in the autumn of/after the hot season ended in) that year, they all gathered together in Jerusalem.
2 et surrexit Iosue filius Iosedech et fratres eius sacerdotes et Zorobabel filius Salathihel et fratres eius et aedificaverunt altare Dei Israhel ut offerrent in eo holocaustomata sicut scriptum est in lege Mosi viri Dei
Then Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak, and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his friends, all began to rebuild the altar of God, the one whom the Israeli people [worshiped]. They did that in order that they could sacrifice burned offerings on it, according to what the prophet Moses had written in the laws [that God gave to him].
3 conlocaverunt autem altare super bases suas deterrentibus eos per circuitum populis terrarum et obtulerunt super illud holocaustum Domino mane et vespere
Even though they were afraid of the people who were already living in that area, they rebuilt the altar at the same place [where the previous altar had been]. Before they started to lay the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, [the priests] started to burn sacrifices to Yahweh [on the altar]. They offered sacrifices every morning and every evening. Fifteen days after [they started to offer these sacrifices], the people celebrated the Festival of [Living in Temporary] Shelters, as [Moses] had commanded them to do in the laws [that God gave to him]. Each day the priests offered the sacrifices [that were required] for that day. In addition, they presented the regular burned offerings and the offerings [that were required] for the New Moon Festivals and the other festivals that they celebrated each year to [honor] Yahweh. They also brought other offerings only because they desired to bring them, [not because they were required to bring them].
4 feceruntque sollemnitatem tabernaculorum sicut scriptum est et holocaustum diebus singulis per ordinem secundum praeceptum opus diei in die suo
5 et post haec holocaustum iuge tam in kalendis quam in universis sollemnitatibus Domini quae erant consecratae et in omnibus in quibus ultro offerebatur munus Deo
6 a primo die mensis septimi coeperunt offerre holocaustum Domino porro templum Dei fundatum necdum erat
7 dederunt autem pecunias latomis et cementariis cibum quoque et potum et oleum Sidoniis Tyriisque ut deferrent ligna cedrina de Libano ad mare Ioppes iuxta quod praeceperat Cyrus rex Persarum eis
Then the Israelis hired masons and carpenters, and they bought [logs from] cedar trees from the people of Tyre and Sidon [cities], and they gave those people food and wine and olive oil for the logs. They brought the logs down from [the mountains in] Lebanon [to the Mediterranean seacoast and then floated them along the coast of the Sea, ] to Joppa. King Cyrus permitted them to do that. [Then the logs were brought from Joppa inland up to Jerusalem].
8 anno autem secundo adventus eorum ad templum Dei in Hierusalem mense secundo coeperunt Zorobabel filius Salathihel et Iosue filius Iosedech et reliqui de fratribus eorum sacerdotes et Levitae et omnes qui venerant de captivitate in Hierusalem et constituerunt Levitas a viginti annis et supra ut urguerent opus Domini
The Israelis started to rebuild the temple in the (spring/time before the hot season) of the second year after they returned to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the people who had returned to Jerusalem worked on the building. All the (Levites/men who did work in the temple) supervised this work.
9 stetitque Iosue filii eius et fratres eius Cedmihel et filii eius et filii Iuda quasi unus ut instarent super eos qui faciebant opus in templo Dei filii Enadad filii eorum et fratres eorum Levitae
Jeshua and his sons and his other relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah, also helped to supervise the work. The family of Henadad, who were also all Levites, joined with them in supervising this work.
10 fundato igitur a cementariis templo Domini steterunt sacerdotes in ornatu suo cum tubis et Levitae filii Asaph in cymbalis ut laudarent Deum per manus David regis Israhel
When the builders finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and stood in their places, blowing their trumpets. Then the Levites, who were descendants of Asaph, clashed/banged their cymbals to praise Yahweh, just as King David had [many years previously] told [Asaph and the other musicians] to do.
11 et concinebant in hymnis et confessione Domino quoniam bonus quoniam in aeternum misericordia eius super Israhel omnis quoque populus vociferabatur clamore magno in laudando Dominum eo quod fundatum esset templum Domini
They praised Yahweh and thanked him, and they sang this song about him: “He is very good [to us]! He faithfully loves us Israeli people, and he will love us forever.” Then all the people shouted loudly, praising Yahweh because they had finished laying the foundation of Yahweh’s temple.
12 plurimi etiam de sacerdotibus et Levitis et principes patrum seniores qui viderant templum prius cum fundatum esset et hoc templum in oculis eorum flebant voce magna et multi vociferantes in laetitia elevabant vocem
Many of the [old] priests, Levites, and leaders of families remembered [what] the first temple [was like], and they cried aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid [because they knew that the new temple would not be as beautiful as the first temple]. But the other people shouted joyfully.
13 nec poterat quisquam agnoscere vocem clamoris laetantium et vocem fletus populi commixtim enim populus vociferabatur clamore magno et vox audiebatur procul
The shouting and the crying was very loud; [even people] far away could hear it.
